Kukla's Korner Hockey

The agent for Jaroslav Halak released a statement Wednesday saying his client never told Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates that he did not want to start against the St. Louis Blues, his former team.

Oates told reporters in St. Louis on Tuesday that Halak "wasn't 100 per cent comfortable" starting against the Blues, who sent him to the Buffalo Sabres in the Feb. 28 trade that got them Ryan Miller. Halak was then traded before the deadline to the Capitals.

"Jaro never at any time said he didn't want to start against St. Louis," agent Allan Walsh said in a statement sent to The Canadian Press. "A private conversation between a player and coach should stay private and not be discussed with the media.

"I am bewildered that a coach would break that trust especially when those comments the coach publicly attributed to Jaro are not accurate. It's the coach who makes the decision on who plays in the games, not the players."

Halak told reporters from the Washington Post and NHL.com after the Capitals' morning skate at Scottrade Center that the incident is still too "fresh."

It’s typical lawyer-speak. It’s like a defense attorney who presents a case with two conflicting defenses: 1) My client didn’t kill her husband and 2) My client was severely abused by her husband and had unspeakable things done to her and lived a tragic life. So basically, she didn’t do it. But if she did, it was justified.

Walsh’s first statement is clear, he didn’t say it. But in the second, if he DID say it, the coach should’ve never disclosed that. I always find these kind of statements/defenses by lawyers to be funny.

Walsh’s first statement is clear, he didn’t say it. But in the second, if he DID say it, the coach should’ve never disclosed that.

To be fair, there are two different statements. In one Walsh is insisting that Halak didn’t ask not to start, in the other Walsh is saying that Oates shouldn’t have shared what Halak did say, which is that he wasn’t 100% comfortable.

“I’m not 100% comfortable” and “please don’t make me start” aren’t the same thing.